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Scan 404
Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 1927
31 lines. Read by computer on 11 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. Printed page 358. See the scan on archive.org.
1foundation the house of Gaveau has produced over 70,000 pianos.
3(2) GABRIEL, (b. 1855) son of Joseph, piano-forte manufacturer, founded a house in Paris, Avenue Malakoff, 1911, from which have issued over 4000 pianos.
5J. G. P.
7GAVEAUX, (1) PIERRE (b. Béziers, Aug. 1761 1; d. Passy, near Paris, Feb, 5, 1825), studied composition under Beck, conductor of the Grand Théâtre at Bordeaux. There he made his début as tenor with a success which decided his future career. His voice was warm and flexible, he sang with great expression, and during an engagement at the Opéra-Comique in Paris in 1789 created many important parts; but his career as an actor was ephemeral. As a composer he produced between 1792 and 1818 at the Opéra-Comique more than 35 dramatic works, ballets, comic operas and operas, written in an easy and essentially dramatic style, natural and simple in melody, but not characterised by depth or originality. Among these may be specified 'Les Deux Suisses' (1792); 'Le Petit Matelot' (1796); 'Léonore ou l'amour conjugal' (1798), his best work, the same subject which Beethoven afterwards set as 'Fidelio'; 'Le Bouffe et le Tailleur' (1804), sung by Ponchard and Cinti-Damoreau as late as 1835, and played in London in 1849; 'Monsieur Deschalumeaux' (1806), afterwards played as a pantomime, and 'L'Enfant prodigue.' He also published a book of Italian 'Canzonette' dedicated to Garat, and another of French 'Romances.' These are forgotten, but some of his operatic airs for a time maintained a certain popularity, and occupy an honourable place in 'La Clé du caveau.' He wrote, also, a revolutionary hymn, 'Le Réveil du peuple' (1795), words by Sourignière, performed with the greatest enthusiasm for four years. The titles of 26 operas are given in Q.-L. He died insane. one of two readings
8GAVEAUX, (1) PIERRE (b. Béziers, Aug. 1761 1; d. Passy, near Paris, Feb, 5, 1825), 2 studied composition under Beck, conductor of the Grand Théâtre at Bordeaux. There he made his début as tenor with a success which decided his future career. His voice was warm and flexible, he sang with great expression, and during an engagement at the Opéra-Comique in Paris in 1789 created many important parts; but his career as an actor was ephemeral. As a composer he produced between 1792 and 1818 at the Opéra-Comique more than 35 dramatic works, ballets, comic operas and operas, written in an easy and essentially dramatic style, natural and simple in melody, but not characterised by depth or originality. Among these may be specified 'Les Deux Suisses' (1792); 'Le Petit Matelot' (1796); 'Léonore ou l'amour conjugal' (1798), his best work, the same subject which Beethoven afterwards set as 'Fidelio'; 'Le Bouffe et le Tailleur' (1804), sung by Ponchard and Cinti-Damoreau as late as 1835, and played in London in 1849; 'Monsieur Deschalumeaux' (1806), afterwards played as a pantomime, and 'L'Enfant prodigue.' He also published a book of Italian 'Canzonette' dedicated to Garat, and another of French 'Romances.' These are forgotten, but some of his operatic airs for a time maintained a certain popularity, and occupy an honourable place in 'La Clé du caveau.' He wrote, also, a revolutionary hymn, 'Le Réveil du peuple' (1795), words by Sourignière, performed with the greatest enthusiasm for four years. The titles of 26 operas are given in Q.-L. He died insane. one of two readings
10G. C.; addns. M. L. P.
12(2) His brother, SIMON (b. Béziers, 1759), 'répétiteur' and prompter at the Théâtre Feydeau, founded in 1793 a music firm in which he associated with Pierre (Gaveaux Frères).
14BIBL.—H. RADIGUER, France, 18e, 19e siècles; Sammelbände der Internationalen Gesellschaft (1905-6); J. G. PROD'HOMME, Léonore ou l'amour conjugal de Bouilly et Gaveaux.
16GAVINIÉS, PIERRE (b. Bordeaux, May 26, 1726 3; d. Paris, Sept. 9, 1800), an eminent French violinist.
18He made his first successful appearance at the Concert Spirituel in 1741, and after this to the end of his life he but rarely left Paris, where he soon came to be considered as the best living violinist, and was a great favourite in fashionable circles. Contemporary writers attribute to him all the qualities of a really great performer—wonderful execution, a great tone, spirit and feeling. His fiery temperament at one time got him into considerable trouble: he became involved in a liaison with a lady of the court, and on being detected had to fly from Paris, but was captured and imprisoned for a year. This experience effectually sobered him, and we are assured that later in life he was as much esteemed for his social virtues as for his artistic gifts. During his imprisonment he composed a piece which, under the name of 'Romance de Gaviniés,' for a long time enjoyed considerable popularity in France, and, according to Fétis, used to move the hearers to tears when performed by the composer. He directed the Concert Spirituel in 1773-77, and on the foundation of the Conservatoire in 1794 was appointed to a professorship of the violin.
20In France Gaviniés is generally considered the founder of the great French school of violinists. This is true in one sense, as he was the first professor of the violin at the Conservatoire, but with such a predecessor as Léclair, the title appears at least disputable. Viotti is said to have spoken of him as the French Tartini. But, although there can be no doubt that Gaviniés did more than any one before him towards transplanting into France the true and earnest style of the great Italian school of violin-playing, it is impossible to rank him in any way with Tartini as a composer for the violin or even as a performer. His works, while not devoid of a certain pathetic dignity, do not show an individual original style, and are in every respect inferior to Tartini's masterpieces. They are on the whole rather dry and laboured. On the other hand it must be granted that they indicate considerable advance in technical execution. His most celebrated work, 'Les vingt-quatres Matinées,' surpasses in difficulty anything ever written by Tartini, and as we are assured that Gaviniés used to play them even in his old age with the greatest perfection, we must assume him to have possessed an eminent execution.
22Capron, Robineau and Le Duc aîné, are the best known of Gaviniés's numerous pupils. Besides the 'Matinées' he published 6 concertos for the violin, 2 sets of sonatas for violin and bass (some of which have been republished by Alard and David), 6 sonatas for 2 violins, 3 sonatas for violin solo (one of them entitled 'Le Tombeau de Gaviniés'). He also composed an opera, 'Le Prétendu,' which was played at the Comédie-Italienne in 1760.
24P. D.
26GAVOTTE, a French dance, the name of which is said to be derived from the Gavots, or people of the pays de Gap in Dauphiné. Its original peculiarity as a danse grave was that the dancers lifted their feet from the ground, while in former danses graves they walked or shuffled—(Littré). It is in common time, of moderately quick movement, and in two parts, each of which is, as usual with the older dances, repeated. In the original form of the dance
281 This date is generally admitted, but 1764 is sometimes given.
292 Or Feb. 7, 1824.
303 See Q.-L. on the question of the date.
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